States With Most Obesity Oppose Obamacare The Most

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The Supreme Court’s ruling on the Affordable Care Act last week has hardly made the bill any more popular—in fact, 49% of Americans disagree with the decision, according to a CNN poll yesterday. Looking at those numbers, however, reveals something more interesting than the typically expected partisan divide.

Harvard’s Jeff Frankel has shown that the greater the index of obesity in a state, the more likely they are to oppose the health care act.

Curious data, considering that morbidly overweight individuals are some of the ones that stand to benefit the most from the reformed legislation. Before Obama passed the Affordable Care Act—by the slimmest of margins, with no Republican votes—insurance companies could turn away those with pre-existing conditions, or charge them higher rates if they were pre-disposed to illness. The new bill eliminated those restrictions and discrimination, providing essential support to obese Americans, who incur medical costs 42% higher than those with healthier, slimmer waistlines.

States with some of the highest rates of obesity, such as Mississippi, Tennessee, and Alabama, were among the most strongly opposed to the health care act, and also the most likely to benefit from it. “People are not voting in their self interest,” Frankel notes. “For every one percentage point increase in obesity, support for Obamacare declines by an estimated four percentage points on average.” How to explain this disconnect?

Two explanations that Frankel postulates are 1) ignorance of what the new law does, and 2) pure and simple partisanship

Many think that it reduces personal responsibility for health care. But the truth is the opposite. Under the current system, hospitals are required to treat patients who show up at the emergency entrance with a heart attack – even if their condition is partly their fault, due to habits of overeating and under-exercising. The hospitals have to pass the costs on, and the rest of us end up footing the bill. The individual mandate is designed to fix that, by making everyone pay for the health care they get (and perhaps even encouraging them to see a doctor who will advise them to adopt a healthy life style).

It is worth noting that poverty, lack of education, and obesity are three deeply interrelated factors. The top three least healthiest states—Mississippi, Louisiana, and New Mexico—are the same top three poorest states. These states also rank near the top of the worst-educated lists.

Those with the highest percentages of overweight or obese individuals also tend to consistently vote Republican, making their opposition to the bill a matter of political ideology rather than pragmatic reason. Reduced access to education diminishes the possibility of escaping state-sponsored partisanship, and making informed decisions.

He’s the master of the herd, leading the dumb ditto-pigs to the slaughterhouse. while becoming highly influential and filthy rich in the process. It’s about MONEY and POWER, regardless of the harm he (and other right wing media stars) may inflict.
And the more these glib talk show hosts repeat the same lies, the same hatred of Obama and progressive reform, the more they attract loyal followers from the most ignorant and gullible segment of the population.

sheilageorge

Most of these Money and Power Drunk people like to see and keep the lower class of people at the bottom of the ladder to remain there. Their aim is to exploit the under dogs mentally and physically. They continue to lie to the uneducated and gullible section of the population.

http://www.facebook.com/people/Barry-Levy/1091577549 Barry Levy

strange but I don’t see Rush or others having any power over others, and they often speak that they are happy for all to succeed.

While those in the political arena, don’t seem to care that much about others, but profess it to get votes.

That is a huge difference.

http://www.facebook.com/ken.sandale Ken Sandale

It is a very interesting article, and the author appears to have a good point.

It would be more interesting though to see the correlation between smoking and support for the healthcare law–smoking is more harmful and more “crazy” than obesity.

The original study only addressed obesity, so it is not Axel Tonconogy’s fault that smoking was not directly addressed. However Tonconogy adds to the deficiency by writing “..hospitals are required to treat patients who show up at the emergency entrance with a heart attack – even if their condition is partly their fault, due to habits of overeating and under-exercising” seemingly unaware that smoking is a cause of heart attacks. Indeed it is a bigger risk factor than obesity and lack of exercise.

tokoloshi27

What nonsense. You have a truly scattered plot and vaguely trending line that ‘proves’ nothing. The rationale that fat folk would “benefit” the most presupposes that they would wish to spen the rest of their lives waiting in line for “counselling” by government workers. This is not a benefit – besides, perhaps folks generaly have realized that they would be supporting the elephantine weight of building huge, cumbersome governmental edifice with which to pontificate, oversee and enforce the gigantic time-wasting enterprise – to “benefit” the underclass. I don’t think the underclass deserve to be dis-respected this intensely. Please tell me that calling Republicans the party of the fat and non-exersising authoritatively doesn’t overlook the age differences that actually matter to metabolism. Yes the younger and less experienced are marginally more active than the older members of society that also happen to be more conservative. Grow up.

13observer

Amen, where do they come up with this bullsh*t?

http://profile.yahoo.com/YPI4NVMAWGSK43SFUAL6OUISGA Bunny

I am an older member of society and not conservative. Never have been. Do not plan on being so in the future . I am and always will be a free thinker and active physically . I bet there are just as many fat Democrats as Repubs.Please define your idea of the underclass.

citizenmb

I’d be interested to see a correlation with obesity and education as well. Perhaps the most obese people also lag in their access to information–due to the choices they make, the access to a good education, etc.

http://profile.yahoo.com/YPI4NVMAWGSK43SFUAL6OUISGA Bunny

Interesting! Never thought of obesity regarding education. I wonder if there have been any studies done ?

citizenmb

I’m certain that there have been studies that prove the relationship between education and obesity. Time to “google” that question.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1806187971 William Merrell

No, most intelligent people realize that the 20+ new taxes against the “middle class” will help o-abysmal destroy America.

As soon as you all take your meds, get a big hug and wait for the welfare checks this clown promised.

oldtownwest

Oh, come on. You are making the argument that people who argue for a nanny-state make: that the gov’t should force people to behave the right way because when they don’t, there are wider social consequences and costs. However, people have a right to be sedentary, fat, and die prematurely–just as much as so-called “physically fit” people have the expectation that the rest of us will pay for their knee and hip replacements (derived from over-use). All of us have a right to make personal decisions, and to some extent, everyone at all times, “pays” for the actions of others. That’s the truth, and the nanny-state argument is every bt as silly as the argument some are making for “intergenerational justice,” as in “the boomers are squandering the future wealth of the gen-xers and millenials.” Are we boomers then supposed to be angry at our parents for Vietnam or World War II, or for the 1800 generation for social injustices the consequences of which were passed on to us? Let’s get real.

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_4HKCTSVHCQJCJUU2VYCERLWWDE Richie T

Smoking is a major physical addiction. Dealing with over eating, and no exercise is easier to deal with. I’m 54. When I was growing up, there was allot of physical “playing,” tag, hide and seek, soft-ball, foot-ball, These day’s, kids play games online, absolutely no kind of physical exercise. Sit at the computer and eat. Think that might have something to do with it?

ABSOLUTELY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LAZY LAZY LAZY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! they look for the easiest,laziest way out of everything and if the only answer is physical labor, they wont do it!!!!!!!
The top three least healthiest states—Mississippi, Louisiana, and New Mexico—are the same top three poorest states.
BUT what still amazes me is how people can be so poor they cant afford necessities BUT are 350 pounds!!!! STOP PUTTING SO MUCH IN YOUR MOUTH AND YOU WOULDNT BE SO POOR!!!! it takes quite a bit of money everyday to keep that 350 pounds going!!!!!
there are 2 different types of pre-existing cond. the kind you couldnt do anything to prevent and the KIND YOU CAN PREVENT LIKE OBESEITY!!!! and as they are not gonna do it themselves no matter how much healthfood is put out their or how much gets taken away like the big gulp, the ONLY THING THEY WILL PAY ATTENTION TO IS MONEY AND PAYING MORE FOR HEALTH INS BECAUSE YOUR OBESE AND REFUSE TO DO ANYTHING IS WHAT ITS GONNA TAKE THEN IM ALL FOR IT!!!!!!

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_4HKCTSVHCQJCJUU2VYCERLWWDE Richie T

Studies?, how about statistics.

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_4HKCTSVHCQJCJUU2VYCERLWWDE Richie T

This was supposed to be a reply, NOT a comment. they posted it wrong

adler56

You can’t fix stupid and that includes all repugnants and their hang on redneck racist voters.

Elarenal

So that’s it in a nutshell. Fat, dumb and republican.

Any data on successful dieters turning democrat?

tokoloshi27

Define success, anorexia? I don’t think they define the hysterics that I see as Dems.

howa4x

Seems that these people form the bulk of the party. It shows how the distortions and lies about the ACA effect the voters that will allow their representitives to vote against them. It also needs to be made clear that the Red states also oppose the medicaid expansion for the working poor. Those states with the poorest of the poor are grossly negligent when it comes to caring for their populations. It must be where the term, fat, dumb and happy originated

motornetexpress

This thoughtful article misses the point entirely. Obesity is primarily caused by the food supply, laced with additives and preservatives that in fact cause addiction to foods that by nature cause obesity. This writer should turn their attention to the real culprit: big food, big pharma, big medicine, and big government. The food supply destroys our health, the medical community provides band-aids, and the government convinces us that they are helping the process. Give me a break.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000098689465 Lonnie Avery

Two explanations that Frankel postulates are 1) ignorance of what the new law does, and 2) pure and simple partisanship. This article which makes plenty of good sense and logical,also reminded me of an old school boyhood saying , ” Thin is where it has been, but Fat is where it’s at! At 62 not True!

s27458

These are the states that have the greatest population of morons. Too bad we can’t give them the independence that they longed for in the Civil War. We would all be a lot better off!

http://profile.yahoo.com/XWNK5E33OIFUMQVAGQQA7GDM2M Bigspender

Low education and obesity is the mantra of the TEA PARTY.

tokoloshi27

Way to take the high ground.

day2071

I am 100 lbs overweight. I did not get this way with a dirty needle.
I didnot get this way in a car accident. I did not get this way from a
virus or a germ. I got this way from EATING. Put your damn fork
down and step away from the table. Stay out of buffets, eat salads
and fruits. Do not think for one minute that MY insurance costs
should based on your inability to lose weight.

p.s. Get out of those scooters and walk!

TheOldNorthChurch

The morbidly obese should pay a penalty tax equal to 42% of the average healthcare premium, smokers should pay a similar proportioned penalty tax. This would be fair to all those who take care of their health.

The individual mandate addresses everyone equally based on income – that is unfair. It should be based on your healthiness. In Japan if your waistline exceeds the required national average – you pay a penalty.

tokoloshi27

Since you have conveniently forgotten that smokers are already punitively taxed. Can you really justify further punitive taxes? Those taxes are essentially wasted on non health oriented govenrment projects.

Are you intending to propose a similar punitive tax structure for (excessive) caloric intake? There doesn’t seem to be a feasible structure that come to mind – except picking the products that don’t meet a pre-defined model and taxing the be-jaysus out of them. Of course it is sure to be challenged.

TheOldNorthChurch

Smokers are not punitively taxed do to their increasing the cost of healthcare, they are taxed for polluting the environment of others. This issue is about healthcare and their making a choice that cost those of us that don’t smoke unfairly.

Obesity is do to excessive calorie intake by choice. Just like not getting insurance and going to the emergency room is a choice. It is very easy to administrate. Just like in Japan, docors must report that you are over the required BMI for you and you are obese. I should not have to pay for these people deliberately not taking care of their health.

The SOTUS has ruled that we can do this – so let’s do it.

AdamMos

Total BS. The cig taxes have mostly been used for health care and smoking prevention programs. Also smoking has been cut in half since these taxes were put into play- a tremendous success. Take it from a smoker who could no longer justify the cost and needed that extra push to give up that bad habit. It worked!

Absoulutely we should do the same for fatty, sugary and salty foods. It is a no brainer. Most Americans wont do anything until it affects their wallet. The food manufacturers will follow suit and provide healthier products when their profits are lost due to low demand for products that most people cannot afford anymore, just like cancer sticks.

mc1964

It sounds like a good idea, but it just doesn’t work. The trouble is that you
can’t run health care solely based on blame. Sure, it’s easy to pick on smokers
and the overweight, but what about other ailments? Slipped on the ice and
broke your arm? You should have worn better footwear. Got the flu? You should
have stayed away from sick people. Got injured in a car accident? You should
have been paying more attention to your driving. Need glasses? You should
stop staring at the TV. You see how easy it is to blame people for their medical
problems? Before you know it, you would need a lawyer just to go to the doctor!

TheOldNorthChurch

I agree you can not run healthcare based on blame.

However these two actions intentionally smoking and being being obese are directly as a result of the individual choosing to do so. Therefore the action is not based on blame. Just as individuals choose not to have insurance and go to emergency rooms these people who smoke and over eat by their own choice cost all of us who don’t. The SOTUS has upheld our ability to tax these individuals, so to be fair we need to do so.

Have I missed something? It can be administer by requiring their doctor who gives an annual physical to report them to the IRS. Very doable.

mc1964

What about athletes? They choose to play potentially harmful
sports like football or hockey, for example. And what about high
risk professions like fire fighters or policemen. They choose to do
dangerous jobs. Should they be taxed as well? My original point was
that we all make choices in our lives, some good, some bad. It’s
a risk just walking out the front door of your home. If you were to
get hit by a car when you were walking down the street, well, you
chose to walk on the sidewalk knowing that there were cars on the
road and that some people are bad drivers. And as to smoking and
overeating, these are forms of addiction that are not easy to quit.
I know because I quit smoking last year and it was really hard to
do. The psychological aspect of quitting is a huge hurdle to
overcome. And it’s even harder for the obese. You can stop
smoking but you can’t stop eating. And it’s both difficult and
expensive to eat healthy. It’s cheap and easy to eat bad food.
Never mind McDonalds, junk food is in every convenience store,
every gas station, and every grocery store. Take a look the next
time you go shopping. There are entire rows dedicated to pop,
chips, and chocolate bars. And those are just the obvious choices.
Even foods you think are healthy can be bad for you. Salad can
have high calorie dressing, for example, and salt content is
another hidden danger. And raising taxes doesn’t stop people from
making unhealthy choices any more than taxing gas stops people
from driving.

TheOldNorthChurch

Obesity and Smoking can be directly linked to very large increases in healthcare cost. While the other items you mention can have an impact they in no way measure up to these two. Obesity is the major cause of diabetes, heart ailments, stroke, knee and hip ailments the list goes on. You can track the increases in obesity with the increases in healthcare cost almost directly. Smoking – the heath impact is well understood. It is very expensive to be obese and smoke. The cost of buying and consuming 7200 calories a day versus 2400 is triple. So anyone can eat healthily for far less cost.

The Supreme Court has ruled that a punitive tax is Constitutional. So in order to keep the cost of Health Insurance fair to those who keep themselves healthy, those that don’t need to be punished. If we are going to levy a punitive tax on one behavior like not having Insurance, why should not levy a punitive tax on the obese who have a far larger impact on the cost of healthcare? It is only fair.

In the spirit of fairness we need to tax those who sell the items you mention above as well. We need a excise tax on all major calorie foods.

AdamMos

Taxing cigarettes has worked great. Why not tax fatty, sugary and salty foods as well? If you want to put that crap in your body then you should have the right to do so. However, since you will be adding major costs to society to do so then you should pay for it. God forbid we should hold people accountable for their choices. This is not rocket science. The taxes could be used to help pay for their care and prevention like the cig taxes. The problem is that it more expensive and requires more effort to eat healthy.

http://www.facebook.com/geronimo.schmidt Geronimo Schmidt

PPACA have not so far brought any benefits to the average person.Due to the requirement of unlimited $ coverage(which will only benefitted a handful of people with very serious health problems) premiums have actually gone up for individuals and businesses (some of them are cancelling coverage). Preventive care with no copayment is a dud, since actually most doctors will find something else wrong with the patient, add some tests and charge a copayment or fee anyway. Adding your dependent to age 26 is good, health insurance companies will keep that feature of the law anyway because most people in their 20’s are healthy anyway.
The most important parts of the law do not come into effect until 2014 and by them Obama may not be President and PPACA would have been repealed.
I am very disappointed that Obama spent his political capital in this issue instead of working on the economy, financial regulation, trade imbalance and employment.

johninPCFL

Our company’s coverage costs went down. Maybe it’s because the folks here are healthier (on average) and maybe because the company took advantage of a new program started after ACA was signed.

http://twitter.com/Stagersound Stagersound

Also, the citizens of those same states that are opposed to the ACA are the most religious-right and least educated. Given those two factors, this gullible, undereducated, overweight, and ( given the advantage of the Electoral College where their votes are more powerful than the more populous northern states – remember how Gore had 500,000 more votes than GWB but the electoral college made Bush the winner?)powerful segment of the country is a toxic, destructive force, even self-destructive, when determining the policies and politics of this nation.

http://profile.yahoo.com/4XSN5LAXCFWA24UOOMYJJJVT2A kay

Nowhere in the document cited does it connect educational attainment and obesity. In reality, there are many fat smart people and many skinny stupid people.

http://www.facebook.com/ken.sandale Ken Sandale

“Nowhere in the document cited does it connect educational attainment and obesity. In reality, there are many fat smart people and many skinny stupid people. ”

What do you mean by “many”?

You seem to be implying that on average obese people are not less intelligent than normal people. I suspect you are making that up.

It is well-established that smokers are on average less intelligent, less educated and less successful. It might very well be at least partially the case with obese people. I grant you though that there is some difference in that everyone needs to eat while smokers just intentionally suck on burning poisonous leaves that they were told would significantly damage their health…but nevertheless I would not assume obese people are mentally the same as normal people.

James Davies

Seriously – that is the worst fitting graph I have EVER seen, and I did undergraduate labs in physics.

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_O7D7L5NQE2GP23PPXT6XZBXQF4 archive

The fit shows the trend just fine, If you worked out the error it would be legitimate. I’ve seen worse graphs yielding correct results, and my major was physics engineering in university.

Robby Gray

Problem is, is that if your p-value is high enough (which seems so in this case) then you can’t defend your argument with stats until the stats are cleaned up or different stats are chosen.

You can “fit a line” to any set of data, but that doesn’t mean the data is significant enough to base assumptions off of….

trowen

The “goodness of fit” is relative to what you’re trying to convey. Here, the article claims that “States With Most Obesity Oppose Obamacare The Most.” VERY little of obesity predicts congressional support. Does that mean it does not? No, we just need more information. It is wrong, however, to claim that using only obesity as a predictor you can get an accurate idea of how the state’s congresspeople supported healthcare reform. As an aside directed towards you, it is very rare for linear relationships to exist in any kind of practical physics application, so when you find a slight linear relationship in your labs/classes, it may have been significant to the particular application.

FuckYouDumbass

You clearly have never heard of an R^2 value. Sincerely, a practicing physical scientist.

AaronNashuaNH

Perhaps you failed to understand the essence of the lab and fail to understand the article.

http://profile.yahoo.com/B2RZJDC5SDPTPVOUMDTKEAOPBQ Anonymous

That data looks messy enough to be legitimate. Are you the type who falsified data to get a better grade?

Chuckl8

“Worst” in what way? If you mean visually, I agree. Some states are difficult to read. I’m guessing that the graph was rushed to publication, using a very limited graphics program.

But it does get the point across.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000601270466 Bill Moore

I’m sure you did…and Kevorkian was an MD…

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1146903310 Andrew Adkins

Please change “least healthiest” to “least healthy.” Thank you.

http://www.facebook.com/LoveandHumanity Francisco Javier Arceo

Can you PS the regression output?

Nathan Edmonsond

I must protest at the improper use of statistics. Sure there is technically a correlation, but the graph clearly shows the data is a “fuzzball,” so doing a linear regression only gives you meaningless non-information.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=703746660 Chris Kennedy

So it went from mandate to taxes! Forget about family values and how even health care companies dont want to go back to the way it was before.

http://www.facebook.com/people/Dan-Stevens/1126466906 Dan Stevens

Few people are more liberal than me, and I resent the smirky tone of this article. I know that many teabaggers are morbidly obese, but that is more likely a result of various personality disorders and,( to a lesser extent) genetics than to one’s personal politics. People can learn to think rationally and independently more easily than they can keep weight off, if they are predisposed to put it on.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000391892514 Lee Cannefax

This country is dangerously polarized. Citizens believe talking heads. People are lazy and do not ferret out the truth aided by cable news as a source of information that is almost certainly biased. Faux is opinion not news yet “claims” fair and balanced; laughable! The left has their opinion stations as well. These results reflect that. Mitten’s is running on repealing health care that surely destroys the hope of 30+ million people who need medical assistance and can’t get it in this “the greatest country on earth”. G.O.P. says repeal and replace with better options, again laughable. There is no sign of what, there is no sign of when, they don’t say because they have no plan. The only signal we have is they favor corporations and the rich. Since these folks have medical insurance I would ask; can the rest of the country expect to EVER see health insurance reform again if Romney is elected?

http://www.facebook.com/travis.statham Travis Statham

Under the current system, hospitals are required to treat patients who show up at the emergency entrance with a heart attack – even if their condition is partly their fault, due to habits of overeating and under-exercising.

Obesity isn’t caused by overeating or under-exercising. It’s caused by the hormone insulin which is secreted over-abundantly when carbohydrates like sugar, wheat, rice, and starches are consumed.

AdamMos

What BS. My whole family suffers from early onset type 2 diabetes. They all over eat and never excercise. Neither did I until I was diagnosed with it. Now I eat a balanced low carb , low fat diet and run 3 miles a day. I lost 35 lbs and am being taken off my diabetes meds. My sleep apnea went away as well. I would say that your weight is 90% determined by your lifestyle and 10% genetics. It is about personal responsibilty. I decided I wanted to live as long as my grandfather did ( 92 years old) and always took good care of himself. Show me an obese person who eats a balanced diet and excercises. They do not exist. The hormone issue is baloney for 99% of us.

karinursula

I don’t worry about the adults, they can think for themselves. I worry about the children. Not to long ago I watched a Doku on HBO. It was very scary, especially the children. Some of this overweight children, 11,12 already had high blood pressure, so the danger of diabetes and some heart disease is very real.

http://twitter.com/3lainess Elaine SS

I totally support the ACA, but this analysis is meh. I bet the relationship is spurious.In fact, you could probably fit these data better if you stratified the data and fit multiple regression lines. There are plenty of stupid skinny people who hate the ACA. Don’t use this as yet another excuse to comment about spurious relationships between weight and judgment or character.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=770290412 Rey Fuentes

This is an irresponsible use of statistics. Even somebody with a cursory understanding of statistics can see that Dr. Frankel’s data do not pass the eyeball test. The data are spread like a cloud, with no overtly discernible pattern, and a best-fit line is just that, a best fit to anything. The fact that there is no r-squared reported in this article, or other basic statistical measurements of validity, should give pause. But, the worst part is the reporting. It’s impossible to impute the preferences of individuals with data on legislative intent.

http://www.facebook.com/klgallaher Kenneth Gallaher

The “eyeball test” often works poorly – especially in social science studies where correlations are seldom all that strong. It’s real alright – and expected from anyone paying attention.

Kroof

What’s the correlation coefficient? Looks pretty weak to me.

organicapple

A good book related to the intersection of sociology and geography is “The Sociology of Spatial Inequality.”

AaronNashuaNH

The key phrase is “…you bet the relationship is spurious”. If you’re less than certain, why question the theme. Is there doubt about the trend, the demographics, the place on the “scale” of those states?? If “you bet”, why be so eager to deem the matter as spurious.

excavatoreddie

Now we’re stooping to a NEW LOW. Blaming the fat people for the major opposition to Obamacare and voting Republican. I suppose if Obama does not get re-elected, he will blame all of the fat people in America. More graceful than playing the “race card” I guess.

AaronNashuaNH

Excellent reply. The more we attach ourselves with such infatuation to any partisan group, especially those that promote divisiveness, the worse our chances for extricating ourselves from this web.

Robby Gray

This is the worst graph in statistical history. I would love to see the p-values for this atrocity.

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_DHHP5LWYNAYFUV5FGUS2ROJXZU pm2kar

Hey, I’ve been 40 lbs. overweight for years. Give me the damn insurance! Maybe then I get this damn weight off.

http://www.facebook.com/dominick.vila.1 Dominick Vila

I don’t know how obese people feel about the Affordable Care Act, but there is no question that access to affordable healthcare would help everyone, not only by making preventive medicine to people who can not afford it at the present time, but by ending the use of Emergency Rooms when uninsured people get sick. The latter is a major contributor to the escalating healthcare costs and high insurance premiums. Instead of arguing about it why don’t people come up with suggestions on how to make it more cost effective?

Jerpell

Why does everyone oppose Obama! The man is an embarrassment to all American citizens.
The Liberals just follow like blind sheep, they don’t know any better!

http://profile.yahoo.com/YPI4NVMAWGSK43SFUAL6OUISGA Bunny

I am a Democrat and do not agree with everything regarding this Party. I love to question, and disagree , if I want to. No Party is perfect. We are all human. I do believe that our party is more caring for the little guy. I do not and never will live off the system , but I also have met enough people that need help thru not fault of their own.

Jerpell

Bunny…..Great comment and I fully respect it…Have a great 4th of July!

http://www.facebook.com/JaneScroggins Jane Scroggins

So only a fat ignorant slob would even think about opposing anything Obama favors? Yeah right!
Has it ever dawned on anyone that frequently poverty and obesity are closely related? The people with the most to lose by the increase in cost that Obamacare will eventually bring on are people without the income to eat right? I have a friend working two jobs with two special needs children and a sick wife who is trying to decide if it will be better to pay the fine or pay for insurance!
I’m 65 on a limited income and I can’t afford to eat like I’d like to, you know fresh fruits, vegetables, lean meats and such. When I have to pay much more I’ll sure lose weight!
Check it out, the states you are dissing have a lot of low income people. I didn’t say ignorant, although I’m sure you will. Ignorant isn’t necessary uneducated.
Anyone but Obama in ’12!!!

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_WZGNXDGHX33TB7L3XGSXCXXLRE Adelantado

The best fit would be an irregular clock-wise spiral. I would not have drawn the conclusion of this author. Glad to help the confused.

http://profile.yahoo.com/DTU75MYZOTCQOAEXNQZTPNJYWI Zealot Screamer

Ignorance truly is most costly thing one can posess, all resourses expended in ridding oneself of it are wisely used.

http://profile.yahoo.com/DQZK2GZ2EGZL46FMJYZCPQSVYU TiredofNo

I think this article just about covered it all. It is best described in the following formula:

The redder the state the lower the IQ and the higher the obesity rate. Idiots.

McLaake

How moronic to use obesity numbers for this political point. The reason people are against it is #1. they dont understand it #2 They listen to Fox and Limbaugh lie #3 they already have great insurance and dont care about anyone else. This article smacks of smugness that has no desire to inform, just to whine.
The assertion insults our intelligence. How about the correlation between anti ObamaCare and college education? How about # of automobiles owned… smoking, or childless couples? Please stop this foolish smallmindedness and spend some print on explaining the benefits of the programs…they are many. Yes, it needs fixing, but it is a great start. People may be fat, but fat does not limit intelligence or understanding. Explain it, explain it and then explain it some more.

http://www.facebook.com/geo.piz Geo Piz

I’m obese and I support the health care act. Our health care system is broken. This law though, not a perfect one, tries to address some of the broken parts. If the GOP contributed to the final bill it probably would be a better one. They didn’t – choosing instead to act like children who weren’t getting what they wanted. They moved themselves away from the table crossed their arms in front of them saying , “hmmpt” in unison. No action on health care benefits one constituency- the insurance companies, who spent a million dollars a day to defeat it and that failing they made sure a diluted version passed. Leaders take chances and our President decided that even if his effort on health care made him a one term wonder, health care was worth the price. I, an independent voter, applaud his decision.

Gammaanya

Take Chris Christie of NJ – Fat, obnoxious, loud and dirty mouth and no brains. How these people get elected to the Governor Office and abuse the same people that voted him in??!!!Obviously the ones who voted and still like him, are fat like him, and as obnoxious. God Help America, they don’t know what they are doing to themselves. Follow the Limpy Rushie, the chunky Beck, fatso from Wisconsin that insulted First Lady. Talking about Fat, dumb and dumber = 55% of American and most of them from Republican states. Their people live on macaroni and cheese and hot dog, sit up at the front porch with a gun in his hand and play tough guy = red necks from red states. Imagine Chris Crispy donuts as a VP and talking to an Foreign President – Are you stupid or what. It’s none of your business,… …. What a class or crass??? LOL.

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_KOPKDFAUQPIIRAFI3HEXNMSHLQ Ed

So what is new. Americans have a long history of voting against their own self interest based usually on simgle issue wedge issues.

Melvin Chatman

This Article had a slim chance until they put in the Graph – looked good in the Excel Toolbar!

http://profile.yahoo.com/IWHWANOSPRBZC2JHJ4D65P7TPM west_-_park

I do not see any correlation. I wished there were, but I do not see it. And I am pro-Democrat

h4x354x0r

The pound of cure is a real and tangible liability if the ounce of prevention is not given, no matter how righteous one feels about it. Just sayin’…

To be specific, I’m not saying the ACA does that; I think it’s more the classic, “This isn’t working, we must just need more of it!” As a society, we pay twice as much as the rest of the industrialized world, for some of the worst health outcomes. Failing to care for everyone, as we have so far, has demonstrably given us the liability of paying the pound for the cure.

Patricia1943

This does not sound like a scientific study. I am not seeing a relationship between obesity and dislike of Obama’s health care plan. Unless you polled only obese people, this is not a valid study

marriea

Interesting. I once read that during the ‘Biblical’ days, only the educated had access to written word and things were repeated verbally to the ‘lower class’. When I think of some of the church sermons that I have heard in my day, I note that many preachers/ministers embellish what the written word is saying and when passed on, people relate to what they think they hear and that’s what they go with.
I’m sure many of those folks don’t even know what know what the Health Care bill really is all about and only take the word of the pols who truly don’t have their constituents best interest at heart. That ‘keep barefoot, ignorant, and pregnant’ philosophy and the folks who have no desire to learn for themselves are the beneficiaries of their own ignorance. I it very interesting that that the POLS who tell their voters thatthe health care law is something they don’t need will never have to worry about health care themselves. And the really funny thing is they tell folks that their children will have to pay for it, when in acuality you’re going to be paying taxes on something either way. I have never know taxes to really go down. The feds might lower taxes, then the state and municipal rises the taxes on something else. The end results is the same, you’re paying more.
Also polls uses language to suggest that YOUR tax dollar is being used to support someone else who won’t or don’t work to contribute to the kiddy, then they get the lions share of the proceeds, but have folks thinkings that it’s the other guys fault. People don’t seem to get that unless you are high incomed, YOU ARE THE OTHER GUY. I think its time for the American public to really start listening to what POLS say and Not what they think they are saying. And that especially goes for the people who routinely vote against their won best interest.

http://profile.yahoo.com/JMT6C3LHLJDD4RX4NB4KY5ICAE gargray

Rush Limbaugh leads the pack of wolves.

http://profile.yahoo.com/C7AAHW642DACTA4UHSVVS5RX5Y Rhonda

They oppose Obamacare because they are uneducated, uninformed conservatives. It has nothing to do with being fat. I am fat. I live in Louisiana and I love Obama and Obamacare. Intelligence has nothing to to with weight. Damn is this the latest discrimination against fat people. Now we are stupid too? We are fast becoming the new gay folks!

http://profile.yahoo.com/C7AAHW642DACTA4UHSVVS5RX5Y Rhonda

It’s amazing how many scientists come out of the woodwork for a good false analogy!

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_GETUDUJXAE2EDCTBT6DGS4SEQI mary

I hope someone in those states that refuse to participate file a lawsuit against their state government for refusing them healthcare.